膛线 (táng xiàn) — rifling (the spiral grooves inside a gun barrel… | tongtong Chinese Dictionary

Definition

noun

rifling (the spiral grooves inside a gun barrel that spin a bullet)

Examples

膛线。
Zhè zhǒng qiāng de táng xiàn shè jì fēi cháng jīng mì.
The rifling design of this type of gun is very precise.
膛线。
Zhì zào táng xiàn xū yào gāo jīng dù de jī chuáng.
Manufacturing rifling requires high-precision machine tools.
膛线，。
Yóu yú táng xiàn mó sǔn, zǐ dàn de jīng dù xià jiàng le.
Due to wear of the rifling, the bullet's accuracy decreased.

Origin

Compound word

构词法gòucífǎ

偏正piānzhèngModifier + head

The first part narrows down the second: it says what kind of thing the head is.

膛tángbarrel cavity

膛 “barrel” + 线 “lines” names the spiral lines inside a barrel.

Characters in this word

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

Meaning part形符xíngfú

肉肉ròuflesh, meat

Sound part声符shēngfú

堂

堂táng膛táng

Same sound today

膛 puts 肉 (flesh, meat) beside 堂, which gives the sound.

Most characters — around four in five — are built this way: one part hints at the meaning, the other at the pronunciation.

This origin belongs to the traditional form 線; 线 is its simplified writing.

糹泉線

Meaning part形符xíngfú

糹Written in full as糸mì

Sound part声符shēngfú

泉

泉quán線xiàn

The sound has drifted apartThe sound part was a clue two thousand years ago — it often still helps, but not always.

The traditional form 線 uses 糹 (silk/thread) to show the meaning and 泉 to suggest the sound; the simplified 线 is a later shorthand.

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